On Monday, Welsh environment secretary promised that 90% of Welsh claimants will receive their BPS payments on Thursday, the first day of the 2016 payment window.

In an announcement timed to coincide with the Royal Welsh Winter Fair, Lesley Griffiths said 13,176 farmers in Wales will receive their share of £173m on 1st December.

After delays in payments caused huge problems for farmers throughout the UK in 2015, the first year of the new payment schemes, Griffiths said, “I am delighted to announce Wales has returned to its usual excellent performance, with almost 90% of farmers receiving their BPS payments on the first day.”

Wales has switched to an online-only application process this year, a move which England’s Rural Payments Agency attempted for BPS 2015, before IT issues forced the Agency to make an embarrassing U-turn. The Welsh environment secretary expressed gratitude to agents and farm unions, who “Offered assistance to many farmers in making their applications” this year. She said, “I am grateful to them, and to Welsh farmers who have embraced RPW Online and made the new system such a success.”

Griffiths added, “There will of course be concerns around the future of BPS and similar schemes as a result of the EU referendum decision. While we remain a member of the EU this scheme will continue. We have also received assurances from the Treasury that BPS will be fully funded until 2020.”